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Arborvitae - A Multi Use Plant
The arborvita is a plant that has many forms, colors, and uses
that it is used in almost every type of landscape. One of its
major uses is in wind breaks and barriers. Yet it is also used
in foundation plantings or as a stand alone specimen in...
Environmentally Safe Ways to Remove Weeds
There is a lot of concern about herbicides and what they are doing to our environment. Large amounts of chemicals leech into our groundwater polluting our water supply. Cancers and strange diseases with no apparent cause are being linked to...
Give Your Garden a Rippling Effect: Add a Tranquil Pond
A pond is a landscaping tool that creates a tranquil, relaxing retreat in which to unwind after a busy day – a tranquil haven where all of your stress will disappear. A pond will bring your garden alive. It will transform a still image in to one...
Plant Hardiness Zones
When selecting plants for the landscape, is important to select plants that will grow in your climate. The United States has 10 of growing or climate zones. These zones range from the zone 1 in the extreme northern part of United States, to his own...
Staying Focused on the Project
Very often we begin a project with a specific goal in mind, only to find ourselves sidetracked. It happens every day in every way. The phone or doorbell rings, one of the kids needs help, or your spouse hollers something unintelligible from the...
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Keeping Soil Healthy
Soil is a composition of weather-beaten rock, minerals, decayed
plant materials and other organic ingredients. All this takes a
long time to develop, but can be damaged by our action or
neglect in a single season.
Plants can obtain nutrients from the soil using their roots and
change them to usable materials to grow new roots, leaves and
flowers.
All gardeners are to be custodians of the soil, taking the time
to replace food and other elements as they are used. We need to
treat it like we want to be treated, not like dirt.
Healthy soil should contain a mix of air, water, nutrients and
organic matter. We can protect this mixture by:
Adding organic matter on a regular basis is probably one of the
most important things we can do. Adding compost, cover crops and
animal manure can do many things:
+ increases the soil's capability to hold nutrients. + makes
food available to plants over a longer period of time. + lessen
the amount of nutrients lost by erosion or leaching. + provides
micro-nutrients that are needed by plants in small amounts. +
release nutrients already in the soil by increasing the action
of beneficial microorganisms. + increases the water-holding
capacity for sandy soils. + increase the drainage of clay soils.
+ saves money.
Do not apply fertilizer to lawns until we get a good soaking
rain, and for the best, safest, long-lasting results use organic
fertilizers. The wet soil puts the nutrients into a solution and
helps distribute the nutrients to the plant roots to be absorbed.
The ability of soil to drain water is important. But when you
read phrases like "plant in a well-drained soil" or "does not
like wet feet", they are talking about the plant's need for air.
The roots of plants require oxygen and any soil that is
waterlogged will be lacking oxygen.
Many plants will put up with high moisture-conditions during
the
growing season, but when the plants are dormant the same
conditions may kill them. By improving the drainage the plant
will have a better growing environment.
Another problem is soil becoming compacted by tractors and other
equipment or just by tilling it year after year. You will find
soil compaction in most soils, from gardens to farm fields.
Tilling the soil when it is too wet will clump and ruin the
composition of the soil. This condition takes a long period of
time to bring it back to health. To tell if the soil is too wet
take a handful and squeeze it, if it crumbles in your hand then
it is ready to till but if it clumps then it is too wet. Some
people now believe that tilling at all is not good for the
structure of the soil. It exposes the helpful microorganisms to
the environment and they are destroyed.
Gardeners may wonder if it is best to till the garden in the
fall or spring. Tilling the soil in the fall has advantages over
springtime. When spring arrives it allows for earlier planting
since the basic soil preparation is done. Tilling in the fall
allows a large amount of organic matter to be turned into the
soil and start decomposing because the microbes are active
currently.
An excellent source of organic matter is the fall leaves. Try
tilling a thick layer of leaves into the soil this fall and by
spring it will have decomposed.
Fall is a good time to test your soil and should be done every
couple of years. In conclusion, doing all the previous steps
should be done the organic gardening way. It's back to basic.
About the author:
Join Sintilia Miecevole, host of http://www.budsgardening.com
for a great resource site all about gardening. Enjoy everything
from news, tips, design, advice and landscaping to seeds, soil,
flowers, water gardens, perennials and organic gardening. Be
sure to visit http://www.budsgardening.com and enjoy!
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